The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Wednesday inaugurated a six-man inter-agency Task Team on flood alert to provide timely and adequate data for the control of flood in the country.

Director General of NiMet, Dr. Anthony Anuforom who inaugurated the team, said members were drawn from the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and NiMet.

Anuforom said the formation of the team was sequel to the call from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to increase surveillance on the upper Niger area to mitigate flooding.

He said the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had also alerted the three agencies that Cameroonian authorities would be releasing water from Lagdo Dam between July and November.

“In response to these two letters, NiMet and its sister agency, NIHSA and NEMA agreed that we have to increase our surveillance of those areas.

“We have to also increase our preparedness in case anything happens and that is why NEMA came into the picture.

“NiMet has surveillance over rainfall pattern and NIHSA has surveillance over the hydrological side of things at the level of rivers.

“So, we have agreed to set up a team that will be saddled with the responsibility of daily monitoring of the rainfall pattern and water level all around rivers Niger and Benue.”

According to Anuforo, it is on this background that, “this Interagency Task Team of NiMet, NIHSA and NEMA on Flood Alert and Early Warning Advisory is formally inaugurated.”

He said NiMet would maintain contact with the African Centre for Geological Application for Management (ACGMA) in Niger Republic that provide forecast for the Niger and the sub-region.

He also said that NiMet had gone a step further to employ numeric weather prediction resources to focus more on the areas bordering rivers Niger and Benue, aside its daily weather predictions.

The team has Mr. Joseph Alozie, General Manager, Climate Services, NiMet as leader with Mr. Justine Uwazuruonye, NEMA and Mr. Ade Shuaibu of NIHSA as members.

Other are Mr. K.A Alao from NiMet; Mr. Kayode Fagbemi, NEMA; and Mr. John Gbadamasi from NIHSA.

The team is expected to intensify frequency of monitoring of rainfall and river levels along rivers Niger and Benue, and provide technical reports to the three agencies

It is expected to liaise closely with Lagdo dam managers to know the exact time of release and volume of water to be released.

The team will also liaise with ACGAMA in Niamey, Niger Basin Authority, Kainji and Shiroro dams’ managers and other similar agencies that can share data in the area around these rivers.

In his speech, Alozie said the team would take the assignment seriously as it was a national call that must be answered with utmost dedication.

He said the team would keep a close watch on the emerging trends in the rivers and water level, as well as rainfall for the rest of the season. (NAN)

•Photo shows Flood Scene